Resurrection
by energy
Summary: a sequel to my old story Spirits of the Past. Is Ron truly gone? i know it's been a long time coming, but I've just been unable to get it on FFN til now.
1. Background

Well hey there!! If has been absolutely forever since I last posted on FFN. Months ago, I think. And I don't think I've posted anything HP this year. Anyway, I've finally found some time to write again and I have the desire to do so, so here we go.  
  
This story is the sequel to Spirits of the Past, a monster that I started way back when I opened my account here. That story isn't the best, I know, believe me, I know. When I started it, I was trying to get my feet wet and discover how to write. So, the story wanders around quite a bit, not seeming to have an overall plot till about halfway (because I kept having new ideas the whole while). Anyway, here is a little recap of what happened in SotP in case you've not read it already.  
  
Oh, and a few of you might have read this little bit already. I posted it last year when I thought I was going to have plenty of writing time. Well, I didn't, so I took the old intro chapter down and replaced it. Anyway, here is the recap (after I have reread it twice to see how much I'd forgotten)  
  
Before the term started, Hermione's parents were attacked by Death Eaters. She happened to be out with a friend or she'd have fallen too. She came home to find them that way and ran for as long as she could. She fell asleep on a park bench and was found by Colin Creevey the next morning. Harry and Ron made their way to the Creevey's as soon as possible. While there, Harry and Colin's mum talk. Harry finds out that he means the world to Colin and realizes he has a few feelings for the younger boy. Ron starts acting really weird while there.  
  
They return to the Burrow with Hermione and Ron gets weirder and weirder, constantly insulting Harry and Colin. Harry and Ron have a fight and Harry leaves a day early for Diagon Alley to get away from Ron. On Shopping Day, Ron sticks up for Harry only to insult Colin in the next breath. He has no idea why he's been doing any of this. The same thing happens throughout the first part of the fall term. A mysterious stone appears before Harry one morning; no one really has any clue as to what it is for. Harry puts it around his neck.  
  
Harry and Colin are an item and as much as he wants to, Ron can't accept that. He has nothing against it, but something won't allow him to. Soon after what I would call midterm time, Harry and Colin have a huge misunderstanding and Colin goes back to the Slytherin Common Room with Draco Malfoy of all people. Harry gets a dose of reality from Hermione and sets off to get his boyfriend back. He succeeds and after many tears, the two of them are fine again.  
  
Draco starts turning his back on all his Slytherin ways after he finds out how much the Death Eaters hurt Hermione's parents, who have been in St. Mungo's since before term but have only shown limited improvement. His ideology turns 180 degrees and he is more or less blacklisted by his Housemates. He finds a home in his previous enemies Room, Gryffindor.  
  
Ron begins acting even weirder than before, sleepwalking and having complete blackouts. He attempts to commit suicide to end all the pain he is feeling from losing Harry as a friend, but is stopped by a Spirit. Ron begins to improve with the Spirit's guidance, or at least he thought so. The Spirit helping him is actually a malevolent being trapped in the ground of Hogwarts. He has taken control of Ron's mind to get him to gather the necessary items for a ritual that will gain him a body again. Now all he needs is a sacrifice..  
  
Harry and Draco go on a mission to Malfoy Manor to find evidence to convict Lucius. Harry is badly wounded during a battle with some creature guarding the Manor and Colin feels it instantly. Draco uses Black Majic on the creature to kill it. The two boys leave Malfoy Manor and flee home as quick as possible, all the while Draco vowing to get even with his father.  
  
Colin is chosen to be the sacrifice, mostly as it would be a slap in the face to Harry Potter. Ron gathers him on the appropriate time and begins the ceremony, Harry and Draco still not back. Hermione appears and is dealt with. Colin is killed and Harry appears moments later. He and Ron fight for a moment and then Harry and the Spirit square off. Harry attempts to use the power of the stone but nothing happens. He then uses the same Black Majic that Draco used also to no effect. The Spirit drops its control over Ron in the attempt to finish Harry off. He knocks Harry out and then Ron picks up the stone and turns into a giant phoenix. He kills the Spirit and then transfers his life to Colin. Colin awakes and Ron fades out, Hermione seeing all.  
  
Well, I just condensed 36 chapters into a page of type. That's the major idea of it. Anyway, sorry again for the huge layover between this and the previous story. I guess I pulled a JKR and put it off and off..^_^  
The children in the Gryffindor common room were all a bit subdued after Harry left the hospital wing. It was really an odd sight seeing this many children in the House after the fall term had let out and Christmas was approaching. All of Harry's close friends, and a decent percentage of Gryffindor overall, had chosen to remain here at school and help him through this rough time. So instead of the usual five or six people there over break, the number was up to nearly twenty.  
  
All the children miss Ron dearly, but none as much as Harry Potter. The day he woke from his injury induced coma, Harry refused to believe that Ron was truly gone. He would continually think he saw Ron from the very corner of his eye or hear his infectious laugh everywhere. Today, two days after he awoke, the calendar read December 24. Harry had never felt any less like celebrating. He would have rather spent Christmas morning watching Dudley open his massive amounts of presents than not have Ron at his side.  
  
To be completely honest about Harry's mindset right then, he likely would have gone insane if it weren't for his boyfriend, Colin, at his side. Harry's grief was nearly matched by Colin's own. Harry missed a great friend, Colin missed a good friend as well as carried guilt over Ron's death. No matter how many times Harry had reassured Colin, Colin refused to stop believing that Ron's death was his fault.  
  
"He died so that I would live, Harry. If I wasn't there, it wouldn't have happened at all. You'd still have your best friend." Those sort of lines came out of Colin's mouth whenever Harry asked why he was feeling down.  
  
"Colin, I promise you, Ron made the choice of his own free will. Hermione saw it happen. He did it because he wanted to." That was the way the conversations about the topic always went. They would discuss it for a little while and then move on to other topics.  
  
Today was Christmas Eve. The remaining students in the castle were preparing for the feast and festivities of the evening. Harry was sitting in a chair, surrounded by his little group. Hermione and Colin sat beside him on the couch, Seamus and Neville on another nearby, and Draco had pulled a chair over. They had subconsciously left a chair open for Ron. Maybe it wasn't totally subconscious..  
  
The last few minutes before dinner passed away and the kids began to file down to the Great Hall. Harry was trailing the line with Colin at his side. He'd not said much in the last hour or two, busy reminiscing he and Ron's moments together, the others assumed correctly. Colin slung an arm around Harry's waist as they walked, giving him a very sympathetic smile. Harry forced a smile back.  
  
Dinner was much more subdued than the normal Christmas dinner. Harry mostly pushed the food around on his plate instead of eating it. Hermione, instead of her usual pestering, let it go with only a slight look of concern. Sometime between the main course of turkey and the fixings and dessert, Harry slipped off, telling Colin that he needed to get out of the Great Hall. He quietly slipped by the others unnoticed.  
  
Harry left the Great Hall and slowly made his way through the corridors of Hogwarts. He knew that everyone meant well in there, but he couldn't take anymore of the stares of pity and sorrow he was getting. He and Dumbledore locked eyes as he was leaving and the Headmaster nodding knowingly.  
  
After stopping by his room to pick up his heavy cloak and scarf, Harry found himself heading up the steps to the Astronomy Tower. Harry pushed the roof doors open and stepped into the chill air outside, overlooking the snow covered landscape below. He wrapped himself up tighter and stood in the center of the stone floor. He looked around, remembering as best he could the events of only a few days previous. This was the first time he'd been here since he'd left the hospital wing and feelings flooded into him in seconds.  
  
The events played back in his mind in slow motion. Seeing Colin laying dead on the ground. Fighting with Surtain. Being knocked back in a bloody heap. Waking up in the hospital. Finding out that Ron was gone. Harry walked to the ledge and looked down, seeing beautiful white snow covering the ground. Light flurries of snow were falling in the wind, quickly covering his footprints and whiting his black cloak. The end of his scarf was blowing out in the breeze. Had he not felt so bad at this point, he would have enjoyed the view.  
  
Harry had no idea how long he'd been looking out over the grounds, it could have been a few minutes, or it could have been hours. He found himself suddenly wiping away tears, surprised that he had any left to shed.  
  
"Oh Ron, I miss you," he said quietly as he wiped some snow off the rock ledge and watched as it fell out of sight. He looked up at the moon, wiping away a few more tears. "Where ever you are, Ron, thanks. I wish it didn't have to be this way, but thank you." Harry was extremely choked up and barely croaked the last part out.  
  
Harry felt a light gust of wind on his face, much warmer than the wind that had been blowing previously. A small glow caught his eyes, coming from the space he'd wiped the snow from. He looked down and what he saw took his breath away.  
  
"What?" Harry exclaimed as he picked the stone up in his hands. "Hermione said that they'd scoured this place clean but never found you," he said to the stone, almost expecting an answer.  
  
"Harry," a very familiar voice called from behind him, startling the breath from him a second time in barely ten seconds. Harry whirled around in time to see a form coalesce from the ether. Flames wreathed the form, but Harry knew in a split second that it was Ron.  
  
"Ron?" That was all Harry could say. The form nodded.  
  
"I'm not really gone, Harry. Not really." Harry could only stand there mesmerized. Ron's normally fiery orange hair now seemed to roil like real fire.  
  
"Ron.."  
  
"I hope you understand, Harry. I'll always be watching over you two. I promise."  
  
Ron's form started to dissipate then, as if the wind suddenly realized it was there and decided to remove it. Harry reached out a hand in a futile gesture to keep Ron from leaving.  
  
"No, Ron, please don't go," he said as his and Ron's hands met, fingers interlocking.  
  
"I'll be watching over you two, Harry," Ron said as he faded out of sight. Harry began sobbing openly, looking out over the grounds for any sign of his friend. He slipped the stone into his pocket and then put his hands and head on the ledge and cried his eyes out.  
  
A few minutes later, the others made their way to the Tower, worried about Harry and following Colin's intuition that he'd be there. They stepped through the open doors and saw Harry leaning over the ledge, hitching slightly. With Colin and Hermione leading the way, the group made their way to Harry's side. Colin hugged Harry hard on one side and Hermione on the other. Seamus, Neville, and Draco stood close behind, enveloping the other three.  
  
"Harry, are you alright?" Hermione and Colin asked at almost the exact same moment. Harry lifted his head up and looked at the two of them in turn.  
  
"He was here, Hermione. He was here," Harry said and started sobbing again.  
  
"We know Harry, we know. This will forever be Ron's Tower," Hermione said to him.  
  
"No, you don't understand. He was just here. Right behind where Draco is standing now," Harry said, motioning to a spot about five feet behind himself.  
  
"Harry, we know that you're taking this very hard, and you have every right to be, but no matter how hard you wish, Ron is gone," Draco said, putting a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"He's right, Harry. We all feel his loss with you, me especially," Colin said, looking into Harry's wet eyes. Harry just shook his head from side to side.  
  
"No, he was really just here. He brought me this." Harry reached into his pocket and pulled out the stone, now glowing fiercely. "See?" The five others were stunned into silence.  
  
"He told me that he wasn't really gone and that he'd always watch over Colin and me. Then he disappeared." Silence again echoed off the stone walls.  
  
"Maybe he's not gone," Seamus finally said after a lengthy time. "Maybe he's not gone at all." Harry looked at him and gave him a hopeful smile, and an even bigger one to Colin.  
  
"He's not. I know it."  
  
I know this isn't that long, but just wait. It will be. And it will be updated frequently!!! Woo hoo!!! Anyway, drop me a review. Oh, and thanks to Mare, Dark Angemon, eniomreH, and all the other reviewers I had on the other story. I hope you enjoy this one as much!! 


	2. Starting From Scratch

Thanks for making it to chapter two of however many this ends up being. After you read this, you might want to go check out Spirits of the Past to get an idea of where some of the characters are mentally. I'd clear an hour or two from your schedule if you do that though. It's a bit long. Oh, and just in case anyone missed it in the last chapter, this is a SLASH story, featuring Harry/Colin and Seamus/Neville. Everyone else is currently unattached, but I'll likely not leave them that way for long.  
  
Time has passed. Time they say heals all wounds, but some would surely disagree with whoever said that statement. Harry Potter happened to be among the disagreeing group. Time had healed some of his wounds, the physical ones, anyway. He had suffered greatly during the battle inside Malfoy Manor, much more than he would ever let anyone know. Harry had heard whispers that had not been hospitalized when he did that he very likely wouldn't be around now at all. He'd suffered deep slash wounds and poisoning at the hands of Lucius' watch-creature. He'd been tossed around like a rag doll by the evil spirit Surtain. Harry Potter was a very beaten boy.  
  
None of those wounds hurt as much as losing Ron. His best friend was gone to whatever degree. Gone. As much as the others tried to help him out, they couldn't. Hermione and Colin had been by his side since the incident, and that was nearly two months ago now. This was just one of those wounds that had to close on its own.  
  
Things had nearly returned to normal at Hogwarts in the time since Ron's death. Classes resumed, life went on. All the evidence that Harry and Draco had risked their lives to obtain had long since been turned over to the Ministry of Magic. Thanks to the incredibly slow bureaucracy of the Ministry, Lucius had more than enough time to flee. Arthur Weasley had done his best to push the proceedings, but it was of no use. Lucius was gone.  
  
Lucius might have been gone, but he sure wasn't forgotten. At least once a week he would send an owl to Draco, threatening him with tortures and deaths beyond his imagination for disgracing his family name. Draco learned through these letters that he was high on the list of people within Hogwarts to kill, right there with Harry Potter and Dumbledore. While he was among such esteemed company Draco wasn't scared one bit. It was almost funny for him, waiting until his father's next letter.  
  
What did bother Draco was that someone was quietly feeding his father information. He wouldn't admit it to anyone, but he was scared of that fact. He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that it wasn't anyone of the 'Inner Circle' as he had come to think of them; Harry Potter, the Creeveys, Hermione, Seamus, Neville, Aidan (Dennis Creevey's friend). He also couldn't fathom any Gryffindor passing information along to a Slytherin such as his father, so it had to be someone else in the school, likely someone in Slytherin. But, as Draco incessantly pondered, the person knows things that aren't happening when any Slytherin were around.  
  
Draco was actually not pondering that little bit when he was interrupted by a voice really close to his ear. "So Draco, how long until your father writes again?"  
  
"I don't know, Seamus. Probably tomorrow or the next day. It has been a little while."  
  
"I do hope he hurries. I can't wait to hear what he comes up with next." Seamus and Draco were both laughing as Seamus strolled off.  
  
"I can wait," Draco said quietly to himself after Seamus was out of earshot. He knew in his heart that any of the Gryffindors would stand beside him if anything were to happen, but he still wasn't looking forward to seeing his father again. Even with Harry Potter with him, Lucius Malfoy would be a dangerous enemy. Draco put it out of his mind and prepared for breakfast.  
  
More time has passed now. Spring is preparing to pass into summer. Classes will soon be over and the students leaving again for the summer break. Soon, but not yet.  
  
Harry awoke from the dream again. It was the same dream he'd been having on and off now for the last three months. It was slowly increasing in its frequency as well as its clarity. At first Harry only had vague ideas of jungle and light, but it soon became clearer. He was floating above ruins, ruins deep in the midst of a forest that seemed to be completely untouched by human hands for thousands of years. Harry felt the familiar warmth of Ron near him. He could look to his left and see Ron's translucent form and know it was him. He knew it in a much deeper than the usual 'I know it because I dreamed it' way. It was Ron.  
  
Ron would point to a spot far on the horizon and speak to him in his deep voice. "There, Harry, there. They're coming." Harry would always wake up then, before his mind could so much as begin to think to ask Ron who he was talking about. He didn't really have to know for certain because if it had Ron worried it was most likely Voldemort or some of his minions.  
  
Harry felt the familiar pang of pain as he realized that Ron wasn't here anymore. That pain was immediately covered by a smile as he felt Colin stir next to him in bed. Feelings much stronger than what he felt for Ron flooded through him as he nestled back down next to Colin. Harry looked over and noticed that the sun was just rising over the hills. Almost time to get up. Not quite though. Harry pulled the covers up a little higher and closed his eyes. He knew he should be studying for that Herbology final he had that afternoon, but he really wanted just a little more shut-eye. Just a little more. Harry was soon lost to the world.  
  
Neville finally disentangled Seamus' arms from his own body. It seemed that Seamus had no joints in his body when he slept because if you could think of some odd and seemingly uncomfortable position, Seamus could easily put himself in that position. Neville smiled as he crawled out of bed to answer the morning call of nature. He returned to the dorm room and instead of crawling back into bed he went over to the window and sat on the sill.  
  
Neville opened the window and let the fresh air roll in. He turned to look back into the room and he paused to think about all that had changed since the term had started. Harry's bed was the first in his sight. He smiled a pained smile for everything Harry'd gone through this year. He'd lost his best friend and found his soul mate. He looked next to Draco's bed. It stood where Ron's had and Neville clearly remembered when it was decided that Draco would move in to their dorm. Draco had been completely against the idea of sleeping there because it was Ron's space and it just wouldn't be right. He was finally convinced that it would be okay and Draco reservedly agreed.  
  
Neville then glanced over to his Seamus' bed, a bed that hadn't seen anyone sleep in it for months now, and smiled more. As much trouble as Seamus could get him into, he would never part with him for a second. Some of their misadventures would surely be legend at Hogwarts for generations to come.  
  
"Oh Seamus," he softly said and turned back out to the fields below the window. His peace was interrupted by a soft fluttering of wings as Hedwig settled next to him. "A letter for Harry, huh? Should I give it to him when he wakes up, Hedwig?" Neville asked the bird. It made an affirmative head bob and left the note in Neville's hands. "Oh, I bet you'd like a treat, right?" Neville said as the bird didn't leave after the delivery. He fed Hedwig and then the owl flew off.  
  
Neville left his window perch and set the letter on Harry's night table. After deciding that he'd wasted enough time already, Neville gathered up his things and headed off for the showers. He had woken enough to realize that he smelled a bit ripe. "I'm surprised Hedwig got as close as she did," he said to himself as he strolled out of the room.  
  
Colin awoke soon after the door closed on Neville. He opened his eyes and stretched his muscles as far as they'd go. He sighed deeply and looked over at Harry. He was deeply dreaming again, Colin knew. He could almost feel the energy coming off Harry while he was sleeping. Harry was like a live wire right now, probably capable of powering several Muggle electric devices easily.  
  
Colin reached over and brushed a bit of hair away from Harry's forehead and got quite a start. It wasn't a static shock or anything, but complete surprise. For the second he was touching Harry, he was seeing what Harry had told him about his dreams. Colin saw the ruins below him and the immense jungle everywhere else. Then the picture suddenly ended as Colin withdrew his hand.  
  
The last time Colin had any sort of psychic contact with Harry was when Harry was entering the depths of Malfoy Manor. Why now after nearly five months of nothing? Did it have something to do with what Harry was talking about? Was it random? He reached his hand over again to see if he could duplicate the feeling but instead of the perfect picture he had before, he got a very hazy view, as if he was watching a television down in a wooded valley. That image faded away soon and Colin gave up, completely puzzled.  
  
He swung himself out of Harry's bed and headed out to get ready for breakfast himself. Harry wasn't much of a morning eater, but Colin sure was. He'd have to ask Harry if something had happened in his dream once he woke up.  
  
Hermione had been up long before dawn studying. She knew her Herbology notes and text inside and out, but as she told the others constantly, there was always something that you might have missed so you should study often. She heard the sounds of the House coming to life above her as she sat in the Common Room. Doors opened and closed, voices called out and were answered.  
  
The figure she saw coming down the steps toward her still surprised her a bit every now and then. Draco Malfoy might now be a Gryffindor, but it still seemed just a tad bit odd. As he continued his descent, Hermione marveled at the difference between the old and new Draco. Gone was any of his former swagger. It was replaced with an understated gait. All his bravado was gone, replaced by the Gryffindor calmness. She had had an image race across her mind the first time she considered how much he'd changed. Hermione saw a giant hand reach down and pick Draco up, unhinging the top of his head in the process. The hand then shook him upside down until all the meanness and spite had fallen out. One more shake and the last remnant was gone. Then the hand filled Draco's head with good things. Why this image struck her as so hilariously funny she didn't know, but it sure did. She had to stifle a giggle as he sat down beside her.  
  
"Ready for the final, I see," Draco said to her.  
  
"I think so," Hermione told him, causing him to grin sideways at her.  
  
"You think so, huh? I'm sure you could easily get two A's on the final."  
  
"What about you?" Hermione asked, dodging the remark about her completely acing the test.  
  
"I'm as ready as I can be." Hermione smiled at him as the other Gryffindors made their way down to breakfast and the start of one of the last class days.  
  
Well, that's all for now. I just wanted to get a little bit of the story started for now. I'll be back with more hopefully later this week. It all depends on the work schedule and whether I switch jobs or not. The first little bit here might not have seemed to be all that exciting, but just wait. Things will pick up in the coming chapters. 


	3. Heading Home

About time I finally got this out, huh? Tell me about it. Well, without further adieu, here is the tory up to the end of the term. Enjoy.  
  
Harry awoke shortly after Colin and Neville had left the room. With a huge yawn and an even larger stretch he rolled over to find Colin in the mass of bed sheets. His roaming hand felt nothing but a faint warm spot and he rolled back over and reached on his night stand for his glasses. After he managed to find them and slip them on he glanced at the clock and realized why there was no one else in the room with him. It was almost breakfast time, but his stomach told him that before the clock did.  
He strode over to the window and looked out on the lawns of the castle, taking a deep breath of the clean air. This was going to be a beautiful day, he decided and sat on the ledge for a few minutes, letting the morning sun warm him. When his stomach finally started screaming at him he got up from the ledge and started for the Great Hall, happening to barely notice the letter laying on his stand. "Hello, what's this?" He asked no one and picked the letter up.  
He didn't recognize the writing on the outside at all so he carefully opened the letter. "Dear Harry," the letter started, "Colin has informed us of the horrible way that your relatives treat you and I would like to let you know that you are more than welcome to stay with us over the summer." The letter went on but Harry quit reading it for the time being. He didn't have to spend the summer with the Dursleys!! It was all he could do not to scream out loud and tap dance. For one of the first times since Ron left (Harry still couldn't bring himself to believe that Ron was truly dead) he was truly happy. He nearly skipped his way to the Great Hall.  
He arrived in the middle of a raucous breakfast, with all the children talking loudly about their last days of finals and what they were going to do after they were over. Harry made his way to his group's usual spot at the table to find all of his circle pounding down bacon and the like.  
"Morning, sunshine," Colin said to him, scooting over slightly to make a little more room for him.  
"Good morning Colin, Hermione, and the rest of you." Harry received many replies, most of them not perfectly clear due to mouthfuls of food. Seamus made some sound quite like that of a cow's moo, causing Harry to laugh.  
"Colin, your mum sent me a letter, did you know that?" Harry asked his beau.  
"Did she? What's it say, Harry?" Harry handed the letter over to Colin and let him read it. "You can stay with us over the summer? Wicked! That will be wonderful." He looked over at Harry, who suddenly seemed far away. "Harry? What's wrong?"  
All conversation in their little group died off as they all turned to look at Harry. "I'm fine," he said as he tried to hold back a tear or two. "I was just thinking about how I spent last summer with the Weasleys and Ron, and..."  
"Oh, Harry. I didn't mean to make you upset. I just--" Colin started.  
"No, you're fine, Colin. The feeling just hit me all of a sudden."  
"So you do want to come, right?" Colin asked, a bit pale.  
"Of course I do, Colin. I can't think of any place I'd rather spend my summer than with you and your family." Harry threw an arm around his boyfriend and pulled him close.  
"Cover your eyes, Dennis," Draco told Colin's little brother. "You're too young to see what is going to happen next."  
"Oh please. As if I've not accidentally seen it a million times by now." Colin threw a light-hearted punch at his brother and went back to reading the letter.  
"Well, Dennis, with Harry staying with you, I bet you'll see it a lot more," Draco told Dennis. Dennis could only shrug his shoulders and grin.  
"Actually Draco, you might get to see it as well," Colin said as he looked up from the parchment. "My mum's made the offer to you as well, since she isn't sure you'd really want to go back to your house after all that has happened.  
Draco had really not given much thought as to what he'd do once the term was over and the look on his face showed it. It was quite true though, wherever Draco went it surely wouldn't be back to the Manor. In fact he wondered if he could even get back inside his home or if he'd even want to. Lucius wasn't one to let a betrayal of this magnitude go easily. The Manor was very likely hexed and trapped from floor to ceiling.  
"Tell your mum that I may very well take her up on that offer, Colin," Draco said as he quickly pondered his future over a mouthful of eggs.  
"You'll probably have to share a room with Dennis if you do, Draco," Colin told him with a big grin. "He does snore quite loud sometimes."  
"Oh I do not!" Dennis said and threw a light punch of his own at his brother.  
  
Breakfast was finished and the Gryffindors headed back up to their tower to get a last bit of studying in before they had to go off to their classes. Colin was sitting in the middle of a bunch of his classmates, all of whom except for him were studying for McGonagall's Transfiguration final. Colin was busily scratching out a letter to his mum, telling her that they'd have at least one more child this summer, and most likely two. He hopped out of his chair and headed for the door.  
"Where are you off to in such a hurry?" Harry asked him from behind his Herbology notes.  
"I'm going to go send this home with Thierry right now. I'm so excited Harry!" Colin smiled at him and dashed out of the door. Harry wondered if Colin might set a new speed record to the Owlery before he dove back into his studies.  
Colin arrived in the Owlery quite out of breath and had to rest a second before he went over and tied the note to his owl's leg. "Alright, Thierry, take this home to Mum." Colin watched as Thierry took wing and headed out the large window until she was out of sight. That done, he walked slowly back to the common room to do a bit of last minute cramming.  
  
After his Herbology final Harry took a little time to send a letter home to the Dursleys. Had Hermione not pushed him to do it, he'd just have left the whole situation alone. She convinced him to write and explain that he wasn't coming home even though he knew that the Dursleys could care less. He considered telling them exactly what he thought about them and all that they'd put him through over the years but he didn't. Harry didn't want to even waste the time or ink doing it. His letter was short and sweet, consisting of less than a dozen words. "I'm not coming back, hopefully ever. Have a nice life."  
He sent the letter off with Hedwig, telling her to feel free to leave it as well as anything else that might happen to come out, like a few pieces of field mice, in the mailbox. The owl soared away and Harry was as happy as he'd ever been.  
The next few days passed in a blur as the students took test after test. Harry thought that he would possibly pass out from exhaustion after his Potions final. Even the constantly cool Hermione seemed just a little frazzled. Grades were passed out and Harry and the rest of the gang passed their classes, even Potions, although Harry did so barely.  
The End of the Year Feast came and went with a bit of both joy and sadness. The next morning the students piled onto the Hogwarts Express and started the long trip back to London. Harry and company sat in their car and talked over the various events of the past year, trying to talk about anything except what had happened with Ron. He was still with them in spirit, it seemed, as there was an empty spot in the car. No one commented on it but everyone knew what it was. They might have been nearly sitting in each other's laps (except for Neville, who was sitting in Seamus' lap) and were a bit cramped, but the space was left empty in remembrance.  
Harry hugged Hermione, Seamus, and Neville goodbye as they gathered on the platform.  
"We'll have to see each other over the summer, of course," Hermione told the five of them as she readjusted her bag on her shoulder.  
"We will, Hermione, we will," Seamus told her and the others agreed.  
"Especially you, Harry," Hermione told him. "You aren't living with your aunt and uncle this year, so I'll be expecting plenty of owl post.  
"Don't worry, Hermione, I'll be sure to keep Hedwig busy," Harry told her as the group started to break up.  
"Draco, a quick word if you please," Hermione said to Draco as he prepared to part with Harry and the Creeveys. He raised an eye and stepped away.  
"I'll catch up in a moment. You guys go on ahead," he told them as he and Hermione walked a few paces away. "What is it, Hermione?"  
"Draco, promise me you'll keep a close eye on Harry. I'm sure that Dumbledore has put some sort of ward or another on the Creevey's house, but with You-Know-Who out there, I don't think we can be too careful right now."  
"I'll keep him near me, don't worry. I won't shower with him, but I'll watch out for him. I promise." Hermione smiled at him kissed him quickly on the cheek.  
"Thanks, Draco. I appreciate it." The two of them parted ways, with Draco jogging off to catch up with the others and Hermione watching them all meet the Creeveys.  
  
Okay, I've got this story down now. I was incredibly stuck on a plot hole I left myself and it suddenly occurred to me a few days ago how to easily fix it. Now, I can begin writing this in earnest. Hopefully I'll get a chapter of both this story and my SW/HP crossover out every week. Now, to get busy.  
  
energy 


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